ABSTRACT
The question of gender justice is not a new construct by Muslim feminists, but has a long tradition as a part of Muslim discourse since the Prophet’s time. This chapter addresses questions raised about certain gendered aspects of Islamic jurisprudence, rituals, and the language of the Qur’an as witnessed in various dialogues between Umm Salama and the Prophet. Umm Salama’s questions, and those of other Muslim women, were addressed by the Prophet and sometimes even appeared as a part of Qur’anic revelation. This discourse is partially preserved in the Islamic canon such as in the asbab nuzul al-Qur’an (reasons for revelation) genre and in hadith. The author argues that blueprints for gender justice can be traced to the time of the Prophet and should be located, rather than as modern innovation, in the exegetical literature of the premodern period.
